An
Oak Harbor Christmas
It's fixing to be a lean Christmas for truck driver Jeff Murillo
and his family. Murillo, 45, is a member of Portland-based Teamsters
Local 81, and one of about 600 Pacific Northwest truck drivers,
loading dock and warehouse workers who've been on strike at Oak
Harbor Freight Lines since Sept. 22..

[Left,
Oak Harbor strikers gather in front of a picket line Christmas tree.]

GOP
slams labor, derails auto rescue packageWhen U.S. auto
industry CEOs asked Congress for aid this month, critics of organized
labor seized the crisis as a chance to slam unions.Sizemore
released from jail — but not from legal woesBecause
of a contempt of court ruling, union adversary Bill Sizemore and
a sham Nevada charity he created will likely owe $500,000 to $750,000
to two teachers unions. Plus, the judge granted the unions greatly
expanded power to subpoena further testimony and documents from
Sizemore, his groups and associates. Third
group of child care workers joins Laborers Local 320A third group
of child care workers from the Oregon Child Development Coalition
have voted to join Laborers Local 320. Workers at the Marion County
facility voted 68-9 on Dec. 3 for union representation.